Eulogy for an Orange Tree

[Thomas Alan]

I'm not sure why this touches me, but it does. A house plant has died.

When my wife was in high school she planted a number of seeds from an orange in pots. This would have been 1963 or 1964.
Some of them grew and lived awhile. One did very well and became one of her house plants. When I first started going with her in about 1971 the tree was in a medium size pot and about 4 ft tall. I dubbed it "Aurthur" after the potted plant with Aurthur printed on the pot that showed up in Mad Magazine frames during that period.

He/she has been a member of the household ever since. In the summer we would put him out in the gazebo to be in the sun and the rain. He loved it out there. In the fall we brought him in the foliage would be thick and lush.

Last summer when he was out there tree bores found him. When he came in in the fall he had bleeding holes on the trunk. My wife tried to treat them by pushing toothpicks into the holes to kill the bores. This seemed to help for awhile.

It looked like he might survive, but in the last month or so the leaves dropped quickly until now there are none at all.

Aurthur was a part of the household for so long. I guess it is not often houseplant lives nearly half a century. Perhaps his spirit, energized by the love and care he got from us, will be a mighty oak tree in his next life.

Feeling a little sad, and a bit silly for feeling sad over a plant.

Mac

 

[Guardian]

Feeling a little sad, and a bit silly for feeling sad over a plant.

You lost a living, breathing member of your extended family Mac...that's something to be very sad over. I can't see how it's "silly" to mourn the loss of a being you shared life with.

Are you sure Aurthur is dead? Fruit trees can lose all their leaves due to disease, cold, etc...but then come back. It might also be possible to root a cutting?

 

[anart]

I don't think there's anything weird about feeling the loss of your plant. It's a life - and a loss. It sounds like it had a great life with you (and Guardian's suggestion about the leaves is worth checking into).

 

[Lilou]

Sorry to hear about the loss of aurthur, Mac. That is a long time for a house plant. I have a few that have been with me for about 7 years now. Plants seem to become a part of the energy of the household, just like pets.

I planted a cactus in front of my home overseas, and was so happy to see it not only has survived, but has grown from a mere 3 feet tall to a whopping 15 feet! It is even more special, in that I rescued it from neglect & certain death. After my husband's grandmother died, some of her houseplants were set outside & not cared for. I asked if I could take the cactus and grand-dad said please do.

So I can certainly understand your feeling of loss on a precious plant started from seed.

 

[Buddy]

I agree with the replies as well as the possibility of rooting a cutting. The way I see it Mac, all life is a marvel. The fact that you feel this connection too makes me feel good for some reason. :)

 

[cubbex]

But what's weird?? wasn't weird and other adjectives part of the subjective thinking??

There is no weirdo thing, I mean, for me an unusual case because all the story and the conection, but not unusual to see people feel sad for the loose of their plants.

 

[Matt]

I planted a cactus in front of my home overseas, and was so happy to see it not only has survived, but has grown from a mere 3 feet tall to a whopping 15 feet! It is even more special, in that I rescued it from neglect & certain death. After my husband's grandmother died, some of her houseplants were set outside & not cared for. I asked if I could take the cactus and grand-dad said please do.

So I can certainly understand your feeling of loss on a precious plant started from seed.

Similar thing happened to me. When living with students from my university, I've noticed somebody abandoned that pot plant, that wasn't watered for months. So I watered it. After a week it was thriving and happy. Now it has a friend, but they are under heavy aphid attack, which doesn't make me a happy bunny either.

Just as Guardian said, make sure he is dead before you do anything. Plants are more resilient than they look, and him loosing leaves and deadening may be a defense mechanism. Remember, sometimes something has to die to be reborn again.

 

[Thomas Alan]

Feeling a little sad, and a bit silly for feeling sad over a plant.

You lost a living, breathing member of your extended family Mac...that's something to be very sad over. I can't see how it's "silly" to mourn the loss of a being you shared life with.

Are you sure Aurthur is dead? Fruit trees can lose all their leaves due to disease, cold, etc...but then come back. It might also be possible to root a cutting?

Hi, Guardian: Do you mean a cutting from a branch or a root? My knowledge of plant care is sketchy at best.

We put Aurthur out in the gazebo. The dead leaves fell off in the move revealing perhaps a dozen live leaves. Maybe sun and rain will work some magic.

The weather here has been a bit strange. Cloudy most of the time but little rain. Very dry for May.

Mac

 

[Al Today]

Mac,
Yep, some plant that lives with you for years can be "special". We had a big ole subtropical plant that came from my wife's father's house when he passed away over 20 years ago or so. We did as you, put him out in the summer sun and brought him indoors during winter/cold seasons. He too, got old, sick and appeared to die. Within the pot, we noticed that part of his ?bulb?/root, looked alive with growth. We took it out, put it in a new pot with that fancy potting soil bought at a garden supply. We watered him, talked to him, petted him, downright babied him and he regrew from that root! I am also not any expert but that's what happened...

 

[shellycheval]

Your story is beautiful Mac--thank you for sharing. When I was six my mother was ill and gave birth to a baby who died a few days later. My mother brought home a potted plant from the hospital that someone had given her--called here in the US a "snake planet." This was in 1960. Now my mother has passed and my sister and I still have the plant--it is growing new shoots. We also have her lily of the valley plants that she dug up from my grandmother's flower bed after she died. I dig them up and pot them and take them with me everywhere I move. Plants are part of the poetry of life on our planet. They have a form of consciousness. They present us with opportunities to develop our own conscience when we care for them and respect their right to exist. Your story touched me this morning Mac--thanks again.
shellycheval

 

[Echo Blue]

Hi Mac,

No need to feel silly about the loss of your plant. This thread is very touching. Often when I go for walks in the woods I say hello to the trees and the forest. And until I moved from my home, I had a favorite tree that I named and hugged it every day on my walks. Your post also brought back memories of my dear grandmother, who when she had one of her apple trees cut down because it was dying, cried and grieved for an entire day. Family members thought it was silly of her behaving this way. But I understood her connection to all things in her garden. And when my grandmother passed and her home was sold, I was able to take some small plants growing on the property and plant them in my yard. It was a wonderful way to remain connected to someone I cared for and continue on with her love of all things beautiful.

 

[Nienna]

Hi Mac,

You are not alone when it comes to being close to plant-life. As you can see, several of us feel the same way.

Back home, I was close to all of the trees and plants that were on my property. Had quite a few house plants, also, that were very dear to me. Now that I am across the country in an apartment, I find myself missing them very much.

As Guardian has noted, s/he may have some surprises for you.

 

[Z...]

I felt the same when they knocked down majestic oak tree which somehow resisted urban developments (until 2 years ago) amidst all the concrete and asphalt. I would pass by it several times a day and just to look at it would brighten my day, we became good friends. I still remember the shock and void when I suddenly saw its not there anymore. It felt like someone dear I knew got suddenly killed.
So yes, I know very well how you feel.

 

[Thomas Alan]

Coconut oil has really woken me up. Apparently my brain has be starving for years. I am so grateful for the suggestion for the Forum members. I wish I had found it decades ago.

Recently, when I take my walks in the woods I am very aware the that the trees are ALIVE. They have their own level of being, their own relationship with the Universe. Their own love of life.

Some years ago a thorny locust tree came up at the edge of our patio. I wanted to let it grow. I thought it would provide nice shade for the patio and be a reminder of the deep woods that I love so much.

My wife said she definitely did not want a tree with thorns near the patio. I promised to trim off any thorns that emerged at ground level.

It grew quickly in to a fine shade tree, though the small leaves were near impossible to rake in the fall. Unfortunately, the squirrels found the bark delicious. I tried spraying it with repellent and wrapping parts of the tree in protective paper tape, to no avail.

The squirrels stripped large areas of the bark completely girdling most of the upper branches. As I saw it the tree was doomed. I proceeded to cut the tree down. For several days after I became very sick. Headaches, nausea, even fever. When I would closed my eyes I would see a black image of a very angry tree.

Perhaps the locust tree was telling me that it wasn't ready to die or wanted to die in it's own way.

I've learned that nature is to be respected and loved.

Mac

 

[Guardian]

Hi, Guardian: Do you mean a cutting from a branch or a root? My knowledge of plant care is sketchy at best.

I don't know much about fruit trees, BUT I know someone I can ask, and I will today

We put Aurthur out in the gazebo. The dead leaves fell off in the move revealing perhaps a dozen live leaves. Maybe sun and rain will work some magic.

YEAH! If there are any live leaves at all, Aurthur is not dead, he's in distress... this much I do know. As long as his main trunk has not dried out, he can recover.

I found one thread here that suggests the problem could be over-watering? These people sound like they know a LOT about fruit trees... I bet they can help. I will also ask my friend at the nursery. Don't give up on Aurthur just yet....it sounds he's still got a chance.

http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/forums/showthread.php?t=21814